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Latest Key Developments

Openreach engineers at work on rural grass verge

Openreach to Trial UK FTTP Broadband Speeds of 8.5Gbps in Q1 2026

23rd Sep, 2025 (56 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has today provided more details to ISPreview on their future plans for a trial of full fibre broadband (FTTP) using 10Gbps capable XGS-PON technology in early 2026. The trial is planned to reach about 40,000 premises in Guildford and push download speeds from ISPs up to a blistering 8.5Gbps (8,500Mbps).

VodafoneThree Sign Outside UK Office Building in June 2025

Vodafone UK Set to Switch Off 2G Mobile Services During 2030

22nd Sep, 2025 (18 Comments)

Mobile operator Vodafone UK (VodafoneThree) has revealed that they intend to switch off their now ancient 2G based mobile network “during 2030“, roughly three years ahead of the government’s official 2033 deadline for the phasing out of both 2G and 3G services (here). The operator has already shut down its 3G network (here).

Cross-Party Inquiry Finds UK Unprepared for Attacks on Subsea Fibre Cables

19th Sep, 2025 (0 Comments)

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) has today published the results of their cross-party inquiry into the growing threats facing the country’s undersea fibre optic data cables. The report finds that the UK has “plenty of cable routes and good repair processes” for routine breakages, but the UK can’t protect all of it from adversaries and must improve.

Openreach Launch New Telecare Phone Migration Services Across UK

17th Sep, 2025 (11 Comments)

Network operator Openreach (BT) has today announced the official launch of their new telecare migration services across the UK. The service is designed to help UK consumers with old analogue based phone (PSTN / WLR) and medical telecare systems to safely migrate to modern broadband-based (FTTP etc.) connections with digital phone (IP-based) services.

virgin media o2 network engineer at work 2021

Virgin Media UK Create Fixed Wholesale Broadband Unit for Consumer and Business

17th Sep, 2025 (7 Comments)

Broadband network operator and retail ISP Virgin Media (O2) has this morning announced the creation of a single dedicated Fixed Wholesale unit, which will bring together their consumer and business facing wholesale teams under one roof. This will allow rival ISPs to access their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP / XGS-PON) network – currently available to 7 million premises.

First UK Project Gigabit Broadband Contract Completes in North Northumberland

12th Sep, 2025 (2 Comments)

The UK Government have this morning confirmed that GoFibre has become the first network operator to complete one of their subsidised roll-out contracts under the £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout scheme. The announcement relates to GoFibre‘s £7.3m (state aid) contract to deploy a full fibre (FTTP) network across 3,750 hard-to-reach premises in North Northumberland.

space satellite broadband spacecraft by 123rf

Ofcom to Authorise Satellite Networks to Deliver UK 4G and 5G Mobile

9th Sep, 2025 (6 Comments)

The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today confirmed that they will “move ahead with plans” to make the UK the “first country in Europe” to authorise Direct to Device (D2D) satellite services for use in regular mobile bands via “standard smartphones“. The change could be used to help mobile operators improve their 4G and 5G coverage and roaming features.

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BDUK Issue Annual Update on UK Project Gigabit Broadband Progress

4th Sep, 2025 (4 Comments)

The Government’s (DSIT) Building Digital UK agency has today published their annual progress report on the £5bn Project Gigabit broadband rollout scheme, which covers the April 2024 to March 2025 period and reveals that related interventions delivered 152,700 premises with gigabit-capable coverage during this period (total so far of 1.227m – including past schemes/years).

2025 Openreach engineer testing connections in exchange PR 200125

Openreach Urge Action from UK ISPs as Pilot Exchange Closures Draw Near

3rd Sep, 2025 (26 Comments)

Openreach (BT) has warned broadband and phone providers impacted by three of their pilot UK exchange closures – Deddington, Ballyclare and Kenton Road – that they only have c.90 days left to identify their risk cohorts (e.g. telecare customers) and migrate them. The network operator said they were growing “increasingly concerned” about the pressure on their resources from ISPs leaving it too late.

openreach-engineers-on-a-rural-countryside-lane

Gov Boost Value of Openreach’s UK Project Gigabit Broadband Framework by £400m UPDATE

29th Aug, 2025 (11 Comments)

The Government has modified the Single Supplier Framework agreement that they awarded to Openreach (BT) last year under their Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme (here). The deal was originally valued at “up to” £800m and designed to help upgrade 312,000 premises in some of the hardest to reach UK areas to FTTP. But this has just been boosted in value to £1.2bn.

Internet and UK Telecoms Security Picture by 123rf

Gov Set to Update 2022 UK Telecommunications Security Code of Practice

28th Aug, 2025 (7 Comments)

The UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) has proposed to update their Telecommunications Security Code of Practice (2022). This sets out what sort of specific security measures public telecoms providers (broadband, mobile etc.) must take in order to protect their networks from attack and data breaches.

Openreach Trial Use of UK Broadband Network to Detect Gas and Water Leaks

13th Aug, 2025 (4 Comments)

Network access provider Openreach (BT) has joined with a number of major new partners, including Arcadis, Thames Water, Cadent, Affinity Water and Lightsonic, to trial a couple of different approaches for detecting mains water and gas leaks, which cleverly works by harnessing the operator’s existing fibre optic broadband network.

Ofcom Fine UK Broadband ISP Gigaclear £122k Over Calling Info Failure

30th Jul, 2025 (10 Comments)

The UK telecoms and media regulator has today fined alternative rural broadband ISP Gigaclear £122,500 after they were found to have failed to “provide accurate and reliable caller location information to emergency services,” which could have made it more difficult for the police, fire and ambulances to find callers.

Gov Update on Plan to Help Push FTTP Broadband into UK Flats and Build Mobile Masts

29th Jul, 2025 (3 Comments)

The Telecoms Minister, Sir Chris Bryant, recently issued an important update on their efforts to boost growth by removing barriers to digital infrastructure deployment. The statement covered progress with flexi-permits and softening the rules for new mobile masts, but it also touched on how they intend to help get gigabit broadband into large residential buildings (blocks of flats / apartments).

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Gov Prep New Statement of Strategic Priorities for UK Broadband and Mobile

21st Jul, 2025 (0 Comments)

The UK government has today proposed a new Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) for UK mobile and broadband services. This broadly requires Ofcom to deliver on existing targets, ensure a smooth copper to fibre network migration, monitor take-up of gigabit-capable broadband, distribute radio spectrum fairly and facilitate infrastructure sharing etc.

Internet Danger Websites with Scam Ads and Malware

Ofcom UK to Restrict Number Spoofing to Tackle Mobile Scam Calls from Abroad

21st Jul, 2025 (15 Comments)

The UK internet content and telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today proposed changes that will require phone providers to withhold the Caller ID (CLI) of calls that appear to come from a UK mobile roaming abroad unless they can verify its validity. The goal is to tackle scam calls by cracking down on number “spoofing“.

GoFibre Win Project Gigabit Broadband Rollout Contract for North East Scotland

15th Jul, 2025 (15 Comments)

Edinburgh-based ISP and network builder GoFibre has secured a fourth contract under the UK government’s £5bn Project Gigabit scheme. The new deal is worth £105m (state aid) and will see them expand their gigabit speed Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover “around” 63,000 premises in hard-to-reach rural areas of North East Scotland.